Ranger Guru's 461VS Question & PanteraII question

[Christopher Laurencio]

Ok I know that I ask more questions about other Boat brands vs. Tracker/Nitro products but as always this website is great for information.



I have been looking at going to the dark side "AKA" glass boats, and came across a 1996 Ranger 461vs with a 175hp Merc, and a 1993 PanteraII with an 200 HP 04 Merc Promax



Any thoughts on these specific models appreciated. Here is what I'm looking for:



1) Tournament fishing.

2) Stability in bringing the whole family fishing on a regular basis, two boys, two adults and everbody would be fishing.

3) Safety & Comfort

4) I want to own it till it falls apart.





Is the 461vs @ 89" Beam to narrow?



Thanks,



Chris

 

[joe haley]

the wider the beam the more stable the boat



JD

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

89" is fairly narrow then

 

[Marc LeTourneau]

But narrower is faster ...

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Narrower is not usually faster, but better in rough water. Wider is faster as it planes higher and rises out of the water better. It gets more lift. The narrower, deeper hulls sit down in the water more, but slice waves better.



It's been a long time since I ran in a 461 but when I did it was a nice day and so was not a fair comparison on the ride. I have never ridden in a Basscat yet. Hopefully I can hook up with Tom Mac and see how his is. From what I understand, they are nice rides too.



But on your post, if I understand it the details correctly, though the Cat is 3 years older, it has an '04 Merc on it? And the Ranger has the original '96 Merc on it? Well, the cat has 25 more ponies, is a little wider, and the motor is a LOT newer. I would go with the Cat if it were me. Though I am a die hard Ranger man, if the prices were similar and I didn't have Ranger incentives to think about, the Cat would have to win out.

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Thanks for the repsonses, someone called lat last week to buy my Tracker but did not give an imediate answer because, who knows what's out there to buy this time of year. In any event the Cat is in C&O, TN, I still need to talk to you Rob about that whole thing.



The 04 Merc is a PowerMax? I guess that's not the same as a Optimax?

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I have heard good things about C&O, however, my own personal experience was somewhat different. E-mail me and I can tell you why and what exactly happened. My only advice is be careful and get everything in writing! As it is with any large purchase.

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Rob - I will need to email you from home